


Sneak Thief

by TheArtisticIntrovert



Series: Dovah-kids [1]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Family Fluff, Fantastic Racism, Hurt/Comfort, Khajiit (Elder Scrolls), Khajiiti Culture, Racism, basically nords don't like khajiit, mostly comfort, there's very little hurt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:56:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23132794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheArtisticIntrovert/pseuds/TheArtisticIntrovert
Summary: In all honesty, it shouldn’t be a problem, but his kits still didn’t know the true extent of the racism he was subject to. He really wanted to keep it secret a while longer, (not to mention the fact that neither of them knew about his brief stint as a Vampire Lord) but needs must, and he really had no good reason to say no.--Ka'ihl just wants his kits safe and unaware of the problems he has to face just going to the shops. Is that too much to ask for?
Relationships: Male Dovahkiin | Dragonborn & Hroar, Male Dragonborn | Dovahkiin & Runa Fair-Shield
Series: Dovah-kids [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1662766
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	Sneak Thief

**Author's Note:**

> hello welcome to another "i have oc's dammit" fic

“Runa, Hroar, I need to go to Falkreath to get more supplies. Be good for Rayya, yes?” Ka’ihl said, pulling on the hated soft leather boots. He’d gotten more used to wearing shoes during the long months he’s been in Skyrim, the harsh climate almost demanding it, but it wasn’t often he wore boots for fashion rather than protection. Still, shopkeepers didn’t take kindly to barefoot patrons, so boots it was. In his musings about Nordic clothing customs, however, he almost missed the sad kit eyes sent his way by both of his kits.

“Aw, Papa, can’t we come too? You’re just going into town, right? It’ll be totally safe!” Runa pleaded, hands clasped as she looked up at him. He rumbled quietly, thinking it over. Falkreath had been rife with both Dawnguard and dragons lately, though he’d managed to take care of the latest contingent of the former on his last trip to town. In all honesty, it  _ shouldn’t  _ be a problem, but his kits still didn’t know the true extent of the racism he was subject to. He really wanted to keep it secret a while longer, (not to mention the fact that neither of them knew about his brief stint as a Vampire Lord) but needs must, and he really had no good reason to say no.

“Alright kits, that is fine. We’ll take the carriage, grab your money and your daggers, just in case,” he acquiesced, strapping Soultrap to his back, along with a small quiver of arrows. They cheered and raced to their room, narrowly dodging Clicker on the way. Ka’ihl sighed, eyeing the tiny mudcrab. Honestly, what had he been thinking? A mudcrab as a pet? Still, it made Hroar happy, and he had to admit the boy had a talent with animals. His ear twitched, earrings clinking softly as the kids came running back. Runa had her dagger in a leather scabbard on the belt of her dress, and Hroar was tossing his into his knapsack. His lip twitched slightly, but he didn’t say anything. Hroar preferred peace more than his headstrong sister anyhow. If needs must, he and Runa could protect the party, though he’d rather neither of his kits had to fight. He’d rather not fight as well, honestly. Falkreath, being a Stormcloak holding, wasn’t kind to Khajiiti, and the last thing he wanted was to break his streak and end up in jail again. “Everything ready? You have snacks for the journey and warm clothing, yes?” he asked, worried for them. Skyrim was cold, and they had no fur to protect them.

Hroar laughed, patting his knapsack casually. “Yes Pa, I packed for us, don’t worry. We won’t freeze without fur out there,” he teased. Ka’ihl huffed, but he couldn't stop the fond smile nor the pleased rumble in his chest.

“I know, Ka’ihl just worries for you,” he deflected, waving them off. “Now, let us get going, yes? Day waits for none and I would rather not stay at the inn. It is......” he hesitated,  _ “Unsafe.”  _ Alkosh knows he's broken into the place enough times that he wouldn't dare sleep there with his valuables unsecured.

The kits, luckily, weren’t in the mood to argue. He instructed Rayya to watch over the house while they were gone (secretly hoping she did better than her previous track record suggested; he was still annoyed about that necromancer in the backyard last week), and then they were off. The carriage ride turned a 20 minute walk into a 5 minute ride, a blessing in this frigid weather. 

The hold was, as always, crawling with Stormcloak. Grey Pine Goods was thankfully open, Solaf having just unlocked the doors when they arrived. Bolund was there as always, giving Ka'ihl another sneer before bumping past him. Though ruffled, Ka'ihl knew it'd be better not to fight, especially as the brutish Nord hadn't said anything. "Kits, I need to go talk to Solaf, alright? Stay close, don't wander too far. You can explore Falkreath, but if any dovah or hostiles show up, I need you to go inside." He held up a paw, staving off their protests. "I know you want to fight and protect yourselves, but these, they are too powerful. Barely too powerful for Ka'ihl, let alone kits. I just want you two to be safe, alright?" With a heavy sigh, they agreed.

"Papa, where should we meet you?" Hroar asked, shifting his pack on his shoulders. Ka'ihl thought for a moment, glancing at the front gates.

"If all goes well, meet at the front gate in an hour. I'll send someone to find you if I get done sooner, alright?" he asked, deciding to be generous this once. Hroar nodded, and Runa gave him a hug, before they ran off to explore. Ka’ihl smiled fondly, rumbling quietly as he watched them go. Once they were out of sight, he went inside and greeted Solaf. “Greetings to you, Friend Solaf. Care for a trade?” he asked, shifting his pack slightly. The man smirked, eyeing his heavy pack.

“I figure I can take some things off your hands. What’re you looking for?” he asked. Ka’ihl dropped the pack on the counter, rummaging through it. Under the piles of fruits and wrapped cheeses that he still needed to put up, there was a large sack of precious gems, a few metal ingots, and various bits of jewelry he’d picked up from his latest...... _ excursion.  _ Nothing illegal this time, those items were hidden under stronger locks than these waiting for him to visit Tonilia again. He set the pouches on the counter, opening them up and letting the gems glisten in the meager torchlight. Solaf whistled lowly, shaking his head. “Where in Oblivion do you  _ find  _ these things?” he huffed, a wry grin sneaking across his face as he picked up a small ruby between his fingertips. 

“Around. I am good at my job, and my employers do not mind if I find a little..... _ bonus,  _ you could say.” Ka’ihl couldn’t stop the pleased rumble, but luckily Solaf paid it no mind. Septims and stock changed hands until both were satisfied, Ka’ihl’s pack now heavy with arrows, potions, and the like. He said his goodbyes, peering at the sun. It was almost time to meet, so he’d let the children come to him. He hummed lazily, a little tune he half-remembered Pride-Mother singing to them as kits. He couldn’t remember the words, but that’s alright. Though he was improving his Tamreilic by the day, that didn’t mean he’d completely forget Ta’agra. He shook his head, a fond smile on his face as he waited for his kits.

At least, until his ears pricked up to the sounds of children shouting. Normally, he wouldn’t care. Children shouted everywhere, in every hold. These shouts, however, weren’t of fun, but anger. He turned, a growl rising up in his throat when he realized it was  _ his  _ children shouting. He hefted his pack up further on his shoulder, stalking over to the commotion. As he approached, he could make out words, Runa of course being the one that was speaking.

“— _ not  _ alone, we told you! Our papa is in one of the shops, and he told us to explore!” she shouted, hands on her hips as she glared at the guard.

“It’s true! And now we’re gonna be late meeting him!” Hroar butted in, impressively standing his ground.

“There are no Nordic visitors to Falkreath today, so quit lying! If you’re runaways, I need to take you to Honorhall, it’s the law!” the guard snapped, not budging an inch. Runa growled, sounding so Khajiiti in nature that Ka’ihl was almost impressed. However, before she could say anything more, she spotted Ka’ihl and changed tracks almost immediately. 

“There he is! Papa, tell him we came with you! Don’t let him send us back to the orphanage!” she pleaded, running up to him. The guard sneered, and a confused murmur rippled through the crowd.

“Shh,  _ kalshan,  _ it’s okay. I won’t let him take you from me,” he soothed, petting her hair gently before turning to the guard. “Is there a problem, sir?” he asked.

“Training them young, are we? Little fingers easier to fit in the pockets?” the guard sneered. Ka’ihl frowned, but didn’t reply, knowing it was useless. Nords believed Khajiiti to be liars and thieves, and nothing he said could change that. Rising to the bait would only make things worse in the long run, and he wanted to at least  _ try  _ to get on with his neighbors.

“Sir, we were just leaving. I do not wish to cause trouble,” he tried, hoping the anxious flicking of his tail wasn’t seen as aggression. The best thing he could do here was swallow his pride and defer to the guard, lest they take his kits away. Nevermind the fact he was technically here illegally, he was never actually pardoned from the executioner’s block and any extensive look into his history would reveal his criminal history. He was so close to being Guildmaster, but he didn’t have that protection yet. He shifted slightly to his back paw, ready to scoop up the kits and run if he had to. He felt almost naked without his armor, having foregone his usual thick leather Guild armor for a simpler set of fur armor worn over clothing. He didn’t even have his maces, just his pack and Soultrap. In other words, he really hoped this didn’t devolve into a fight, because he was pretty much just stuck with his claws, blunted from months of wearing gloves meant for the furless.

The guard snorted, rolling his eyes. “I’ve seen you here before Khajiit, but never with children. If you can prove they’re yours, you’re free to go. Otherwise, I’ll have to take you in for kidnapping,” the guard said firmly. Ka’ihl sighed quietly, but slid the pack off his shoulder, ignoring the way the guard tensed slightly. It’s a good thing he carried the adoption papers with him for just this reason, or he’d be sleeping in the hay again tonight. He handed over the oiled leather packet, deftly undoing the string beforehand with one quick tug.

“I trust you will find everything is in order,” he said cooly, tail and ears flicking in agitation. Runa shifted next to him, and he put a paw on her shoulder to soothe her. Hroar was behind him, clutching tightly at the hem of his shirt, betraying his own nervousness as the guard read the papers. Not having a fight or an arrest to watch, most of the crowd dispersed, leaving behind only a few stragglers.

Finally, after ten agonizing minutes, the guard handed back the packet, with the papers messily stuffed inside. Ka’ihl narrowed his eyes, tail lashing a bit harder before settling again. No respect, these Nords. He bit back another sigh, carefully tucking the papers away again and retying the string. “Everything seems to be in order, Khajiit. You were lucky this time, be on your way,” the guard said, waving them off. Ka’ihl nodded, smoothing down the ruffled fur on his neck and putting the packet in a belt pouch to be dealt with later.

“Come kits, let us go home. Rayya is waiting,” he murmured, gently guiding them along. As they passed, one of the villagers, an elderly Nordic man, scoffed under his breath.

“Damn sneak thief, stealing children now,” he muttered as he walked away. Ka’ihl knew he wasn’t supposed to have heard that, but it still stung regardless. Still, they needed to leave. Licking his wounds could come later, when he had a moment to himself. Right now, he needed to get his kits home.

When they finally made it to the carriage, Hroar spoke up. “Pa......does that happen often?” he asked quietly. Ka’ihl’s ears lowered in shame, but he didn’t answer. “Are people really that mean to you, just because you aren’t a Nord?” he pressed, and Ka’ihl knew he wasn’t going to get out of it.

“In short, yes. There is.....a long history, between Tamriel and Elsweyr. Khajiiti, along with Sakhliit, we are known as beast-races among men and mer. The men and the mer, though they do not like each other, they band against those of us that are not like them.” He paused for a second, reordering his thoughts as he gently urged the horse down the path. “Nords believe us from Elsweyr to be liars, thieves, and scoundrels. That we come to Tamriel only to steal from them, be it goods, women, or lives. I will admit, this is true for some Khajiiti. However, it is not the case for all.  _ Fa may'a shobi halku tsin'ra,  _ one bad fruit spoils the bunch. This is true for Khajiiti and Sakhliit both, we are regulated to stay outside city walls, because the  _ wafiit _ believe we will rob them in their sleep. That is why you see many trade caravans camped under the stars, they aren’t allowed inside.” He sighed, biting the inside of his cheek gently.

“It is.....not different for those of us not in caravans. I came here to be a sellsword, as it is what I am good at. I intended to join a caravan, but before I could I was arrested at the border in an ambush. They took me to Helgen to be executed, but rather than release me when they saw Ka’ihl not on the list, they sent Ka’ihl to the block.  _ Mor kah’jay!”  _ he hissed, hating to remember that day. “The point, I doubt they would have if Ka’ihl were not Khajiiti. This is how it is in Tamriel, for those of us not like the furless. I am just sorry you had to see it this way.”

**Author's Note:**

> ka'ihl is my chaotic teenage khajiiti dragonborn with one (1) braincell
> 
> he's part of the thief's guild, the brotherhood, and was a vampire lord for like, a week. he's got one setting and it's "fight"
> 
> he's also dumb and lonely and decided to adopt some kids after killing grelod the kind
> 
> as you do
> 
> **TRANSLATIONS:**
> 
> _kalshan_ = "flower"  
>  _Sakhliit_ = the Khajiiti name for Argonians  
>  _Fa may'a shobi halku tsin'ra_ = "One bad apple spoils the bunch", lit. "One bad fruit rots all" (i made this one up)  
>  _wafiit_ = "Idiot/Moron", lit. "One-who-stupids"  
>  _Mor kah’jay_ = "Dark moons!" (it's a curse, he's cussing here)
> 
> translations from ta'agra thanks to the [Ta'agra Project!](https://www.taagra.com/index.php)


End file.
